Unchanging Heart
by Girl Who Believes
Summary: "Our friendship is history now, Annabeth..." Three years ago, Percy left, leaving an extremely sorry Annabeth behind. Now, he's back. But he has completely changed-he's no longer the old dorky Percy, he's this all-new Percy that everyone likes. But has his heart changed too? With all the drama and hurt, will they still be able to get a second chance together? Read on to find out!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! I have always been a fan of fanfics so I decided to write one of my own. So here it is! My first fanfic ever! Thanks for clicking on my story and giving me a chance. Now on with the story...**

**-Girl Who Believes**

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_**Percy's POV**_

"You're _such _a Seaweed Brain!" laughed Annabeth, giving her best friend, Percy, a slight bump on the shoulders playfully, which he returned with a lopsided, goofy grin. "I will always be _your _Seaweed Brain, Wise Girl." Percy replied, sincerity and honesty ringing in every single word. Annabeth looked up, right into Percy's sea green eyes and said, in a much softer tone, "Forever."

"Sir, would you like anything?" That immediately snapped me out of the flashback. _Not another one. _I've been having all those flashbacks since last month, flashbacks of me…and _her. _I shook my head, trying to clear the thoughts, and ordered a glass of ice water from the air stewardess. I was on an airplane heading to California from New York. _New York. _I use to love that place, but now, it's just filled with painful memories that I really want to erase. That was why I left, to forget everything and start anew in California.

And oh, silly me, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Percy Jackson and I'm twelve. My mom, Sally, divorced my dad when I was a few months old and she raised me up single-handedly in New York- well that was until she remarried Paul, an English teacher in a high school. He was a nice guy and I liked him, and trusted him to take good care of my mom when I'm gone. And then there's my dad, Poseidon, who lives in a huge mansion by the seaside in California. Yeah, my dad is rich, _filthy rich_. He owns a huge shipping company and makes lots and lots of money. But I didn't tell that to anyone, except for…for _Annabeth_.

_Annabeth. _That name brought back many memories, both sad and happy. You see, Annabeth and I used to be best friends. But keyword-_were._ We were no longer friends, much less _best friends_.

We first met each other in elementary school and we immediately hit it off. Back then, she was this smart, kind and pretty girl. She did very well in school, always getting an A, a teacher's pet actually. However, I was this puny, dyslexic boy with ADHD. The dyslexia and ADHD wasn't a great help to me and I was a straight-D student. And to help me improve my grades, Annabeth would tuition me and we would do our homework together after school every day.

It's kind of funny actually, how Annabeth and I could become best friends. We were just so different from each other. She was confident and bright while I was timid and preferred to hide in a corner. And whenever I got bullied, she would stand up for me and help me. Although I would love to say that I did the same for Annabeth when she got bullied, the truth was, I didn't. It's not that I didn't try. Let's just say that it didn't work out, and that it would make the bullying worse. I really wanted to be her knight in shining armour, and protect and stand up for her, but who would be scared of a wimpy kid like me? The answer? No one.

We spent a lot of time together and grew really close, we ate lunch together, played together and chatted with each other every night. It was like we were stuck together by superglue_. Inseparable_. Since I couldn't be her knight, I could only be her listening ear. She would pour out everything on her mind and I would listen. If she was happy that day, I would also feel happy, and if she was upset, I would also feel upset. Strange, eh?

Years slowly passed by and we went to middle school. Annabeth became more beautiful, she grew taller than me and her body shape grew more defined and she became more tanned. She was…_perfect_. And she was still as smart as ever, maybe even smarter. However, I was still the same as ever, dorky and dumb, yearning for the day where I would finally have a grow spurt and _hopefully_ grow taller and _less_ dorkier.

And then things started to change last summer when Annabeth fell hard for Luke, this handsome and cool jock.

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**Ok, and so this chapter is a little boring but it is because it is the introduction. I promise it would be more interesting in the next chappie! So...what do you guys think of this chapter? Good? Horrible? Constructive suggestions are more than welcomed. PLEASE REVIEW! It would mean a lot to me. I will try to update as quickly as possible as I have been a reader too before and I know how it feels when the story is so nice and the author doesn't update for a long time. So goodbye for now! Don't forget to REVIEW! Thanks~**

**-Girl Who Believes**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello guys, here is chapter 2. Thanks for reviewing! It really made my day. Haha...i just realized i am posting this on 21st December 2012, the supposedly "end of the world". Gee, but i am still alive...hehe~ Now go on and read!**

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_**Percy's POV**_

We were drifting apart. That's for sure. Ever since Annabeth developed a crush on Luke, she had been spending most of her time with him and his friends, _all the popular guys_. We spent lesser time together and when we did hang out, all she would ever talk about was Luke. Always about _him_, not about herself or any other stuff. I mean, there's a whole lot of things that we can talk about, right? But it was as if her life _only_ revolved around Luke and she just couldn't stop praising him. And honestly, the way she talks about him with those dreamy eyes, it makes me feel weird all over. I felt like I was burning up, in my eyes, my head and my face. And I hated it, I hated the feeling, I hated the fact that I would feel that way. But most of all, I hated that I would feel a sudden hatred for Luke instead of being supportive and happy for Annabeth. I just couldn't _make_ myself feel that way no matter how hard I tried.

In the next few weeks, Annabeth officially joined the "It" group and she _always_ hung out with them in school and even after school, eating lunch at the "popular table", leaving me to sit by myself at a table, and going over to Luke's house to party and hang out with those jocks. And needless to say, we hardly hung out anymore. I felt like I wasn't even her best friend anymore. Luke was her new best friend and I was just history. He was her prince charming and also her knight in shining armour that would come riding on a horse to her rescue anytime and anywhere. It made me feel _extremely_ horrible and inferior.

Things became worse when Annabeth and Luke started dating. They would keep acting all _lovey-dovey _with each other in school and it only made the burning feeling more intense. Annabeth also started to become different. She rarely talked to me in school, much less hung out with me. I felt like she was also _avoiding_ me. Whenever she saw me, she would immediately look in another direction or walk away. It hurt, _a lot_. But I could sort of understand why she acted like that, a _jock_ cannot be seen with an _unpopular wimpy nerd_, or it would _ruin_ their "_swagger_". I really hated it, the whole entire popularity thing irked me. I wished it didn't even exist, it made me and Annabeth drift apart, it destroyed our friendship of many years.

When I got bullied, there was no one to stand up for me anymore. When I felt down, there was no one to cheer me up anymore. When I needed a listening ear, no one was there for me anymore. When I did badly in my studies, there was no one to tuition me anymore. I had never ever felt so lonely before. And I knew then that Annabeth was no longer what she used to be. The "new" Annabeth wasn't my best friend, she was someone else, someone that I no longer knew.

And all I knew is that I missed the "_old_" Annabeth, _my best friend_. And that maybe she didn't even exist anymore.

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**I know that this chapter is a little short and the story is a little slow-going but please bear with me! I am trying to update as many chapters as I can before school term starts but I also don't want to rush through so that each chapter would be of good quality. And please REVIEW! And oh, by the way, because I am new to this fanfic thingy, i am still not very sure about the terms in it, like 'AU' and 'OC'. So can someone tell me what do they mean please? Thanks!**

**-Girl Who Believes**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi people! Here's Chapter 3. This chapter is especially significant to me as it is my longest chapter so far! Hope you like it. And thanks for reviewing and telling me what those terms are. Anyway, this is an AU, there are totally no gods or demigods or any of that stuff. Happy reading!**

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_**Percy's POV**_

Months flew past like that, Annabeth was still dating Luke and they can be often seen kissing and holding hands in the hallway. And slowly, I started to figure out what that burning feeling was, it was actually _jealousy_. And I can tell you for sure, it wasn't a very nice feeling. But I just can't help myself, although I knew that this jealousy wasn't going to help me at all.

In school, a lot of girls were also very jealous of Annabeth, they wanted Luke to be theirs. But who could blame them though, Luke was the perfect boyfriend every girl would dream of having. He had sandy, blond hair, blue eyes and was what all the other girls would say: _hot_. And to add up to his good looks, he was good in sports-basketball, hockey, soccer, you name it, he plays it. In short, he was everything that I wasn't and _couldn't_ be. I mean, _me_ playing sports like basketball and all those? Who am I kidding? The only sport that I was good in was swimming, that's it. But back then, swimming wasn't a very popular sport, basketball, hockey-those were.

Anyways, apparently Annabeth thought that Luke was all good and kind, like an angel, but I knew better. Luke was _nowhere_ from nice, and it has got nothing to do with my jealousy or anything. Luke and his gang were a source of horror for me and the other students who were known as wimpy nerds. They would beat us up, give us wedgies and basically treat us like their personal punching bags, and they would threaten us not to tell anyone _or else_. However, they were a little different from the other bullies, they wouldn't beat us up in public for everyone to see and risk getting caught by the teachers or principals. So I guess they were smarter than the others. They kept their "_good boys_" image which people gullibly believed in, including Annabeth. _And she was supposed to be the smart and clever one. _

I tried talking to her, but somehow Luke _always_ managed to keep her away from me, so I wouldn't be able to talk to her in private, even after school.

Months passed by quickly, then one day after school, when I was about to go home after seeing my teacher, I passed by this corner outside the school library that people don't usually go to and heard someone talking. As I walked closer to check it out, I heard some more talking and then the sound of people kissing. I quickly turned back, my face a little red as I had almost popped in on their make-out session.

As I was about to walk away, I heard something that made me stop right in my tracks. "Luke, what if someone walks past and sees us?" _Luke_? I immediately spun around. That wasn't Annabeth's voice, that was some other girl's voice!

I walked back to the corner and hid behind a pillar, peeking out and praying that this was not the same "Luke" as Annabeth's boyfriend. But, much to my dismay and anger, it was. And he was busy kissing this new girl in the class, Megan. My blood began to boil suddenly. _How could he? _

I walked out from behind the pillar, surprising both of them. "How dare you!" I fumed. Megan looked down, her face red like a tomato. Luke looked at me with a confused expression, and then it turned into a smirk. "Annabeth doesn't know about this. In fact, she doesn't _need_ to. It would only break her heart. So, what are you going to do? Tell her? And break her heart?" Even though I hated to admit it, he was right. And I didn't want to make Annabeth sad. "You're a jerk!" I spat. And then I did something that surprised both me and Luke. I didn't even _know_ what made me do it, or where I got the courage from. I just went right up to him and gave him a punch, _right in his face_. And it felt _really _good.

The next moment, fists were flying everywhere as Luke punched me hard, in my face, my gut and my chest. It was so painful that my vision started blur. But I tried to ignore it and give Luke a piece of my mind too. But this time, he didn't retaliate. He just let me punch and kick him. And he reacted strongly to my punches, like it hurt him a lot, but I knew that my punches weren't strong at all, they were quite weak. It was strange, but I didn't think too much about it. Until…"PERCY! STOP IT!" It was Annabeth. I immediately turned around and saw Annabeth, her face showed a lot of emotions-confusion, shock, sadness and most prominently, _anger_.

It suddenly struck me and I understood why Luke acted that way, he was making me look like the bad guy, the one beating him up while he was the innocent one. _Clever_. And now I had to face Annabeth. "Why are you beating Luke up? Is it because you are jealous of us? Luke told me you were jealous but I didn't know that you would be _so_ jealous that you will hit him!"

While Annabeth screamed at me, I just stood there in shock. She got everything wrong. How could she think that way? "Annabeth! He's lying to you! I beat him up for _you_! This jerk here was cheating on you! I saw him kissing her!" I retorted back, pointing to Megan. Luke immediately defended himself, "NO! I would never do that. Megan and I were just planning Bob's birthday party together and we wanted it to be a secret, that's why we decided to plan it here, where nobody would be able to hear us. Percy got the wrong idea! Annabeth, please believe me!"

Annabeth looked into Luke's pleading eyes and I knew she believed him over me. It was really hurting and sad that she would think that I am lying. But what she said next really broke my heart, "Percy, I am really disappointed in you. How can you lie to me to cover up for what you did? I hate you!"

"I wasn't lying to you. Believe it or not, it's your choice. And since you _hate_ me, I would make sure you will never ever see me again!" with that, I ran off. I didn't stop running even when I bumped into people and got a few middle fingers and swearing. I was so hurt, so angry. And soon, betrayer tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision. But I didn't care, I didn't _want_ to care. I just kept running and running. I felt as if something was pressing against me chest, making it hard to breathe. It felt horrible.

_How could she? I did it for her…_

Then all of sudden, there were the sounds of cars honking all around me and the screeching of tires. I froze. I felt so confused. I couldn't see properly as the tears blurred my vision. Then the next moment, I saw two bright lights, heading straight for me. They got bigger and bigger, and then there was the sound of tires screeching again.

It all happened so fast that my mind was a blur. After the screeching sound, I felt pain, _immense_ pain. Then the next thing I knew, it was lights out.

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**Cliffy! Tell me what you think of this chapter and how can i improve on my writing. You can also tell me what do you want to happen in the later chapters and maybe i will consider it! Review, review, REVIEW! Thanks! **

**Btw, i am just curious, how old do you think I am actually?**

**-Girl Who Believes**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys! I am so sorry for not updating these past few days. I was busy preparing for school next year. Thanks for reading my previous chapters and reviewing. You guys are great! Read on!**

**-Girl Who Believes**

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**_Percy's POV_**

_Ouch_. That was the first thing I could think of when I came to. My head was throbbing and my whole body ached. _What in the world had happened?_ I tried turning my head to look around but then a wave of nausea and grogginess instantly hit me, so I just closed my eyes and tried to recall what had happened instead. It was fuzzy but I remembered the crying, two bright lights, the screeching, the pain, the blackout and then…_Annabeth_.

Before I could think further, I heard footsteps and my eyes shot open, surprisingly glad for the interruption. I didn't want to think any further in _that_ direction. My mom came into view and immediately, relief and warmth flooded through me. You see, my mom could do that to me-make all my worries and troubles disappear. Her lovely features were etched with worry and weariness and I knew immediately that she had not slept well.

"Mom?" I croaked. "Oh my dear, how do you feel? Do you need me to call the doctor?" My mom asked, the way she would when she was anxious or worried. But I could tell that she was relieved as her whole body had relaxed visibly. I smiled weakly at her and replied, "I am fine, Mom. Where am I? What happened?" She frowned slightly and answered my questions. I was in the hospital because I had been in a car accident. _What the heck? A car accident? _And I had been in a comatose state for two days. _Woah_. I had blacked out for _two days_? She's got to be kidding. But the look on her face told me that she wasn't.

And as days passed, I was getting better and better. Every day, my mom and Paul would come and visit me at the hospital. Just them, no one else. _No Annabeth._ It has been what, two weeks? I wasn't sure, it was hard to keep track of days there. And there was not a single sight of _her_, she didn't come, not even _once_. I missed her-there I've said it-I missed her, and I wanted to see her badly. I would be lying if I said that I didn't. Every day, my heart would sink lower and lower, and finally, I got it-she would never come. And I had no intention to go look for her either. _She's probably out somewhere enjoying herself with her boyfriend. _That thought made me feel bitter, I could almost taste it in my mouth.

Finally, the doctor allowed me to be discharged from the hospital. I was really glad, as it was extremely boring in the hospital. But you can't blame me, I have ADHD for god's sake. Lying on bed all day with nothing to do isn't exactly what my thing. And then, I had another trouble-_going back to school_. It was the last thing I ever wanted to do then, no matter how much I wanted to see her and talk to her. But then again, she's no longer my best friend.

When I got home, I asked my mom something that had been nagging me at the back of my brain for a long time: did Annabeth come visit me when I was in coma? Her answer, if possible, made my heart sink even lower. Seeing my face fall noticeably, she asked me what was going on between Annabeth and me. I hesitated, before answering her and telling her all that had happened. It felt good to talk to someone and let everything out.

My mom was a good listener and she kept very quiet the whole time I was talking. When I was done, she asked me a question I would never expect to hear from her, and before I knew it, I had already said "Yes".

My mom had actually asked if I wanted to go over and stay with my dad in California. _Woahh_. It was a good opportunity for me, I could start afresh there, and also keep my word. _Annabeth would never ever see me again_…

So for the next few days, there was a flurry of events as I made preparations to move to California. And before I knew it, it was all done. _I was ready to go_. I contemplated whether I should go see _her_ and you know, bid her goodbye and all, but her words rang in my mind and I decided not to. _"I hate you!" _– those three words were etched in my mind. _She hates me. _And they were also a constant reminder to me that she was no longer my best friend. Just thinking that made my heart wrench.

Finally, the day came. After all the teary good-byes and reassurances that I would come visit often, I was off. So here I am again, on my way to a fresh start. I want to become everything that I wasn't last time. And forget about _her_. Even as I say it now, I know that it is impossible. I would _never_ forget Annabeth, even if she might forget me. I will _always_ remember her, how her beautiful grey eyes would twinkle whenever she smiles, how she would scrunch up her eyebrows when she's deep in thought, or how her wavy, blonde hair would billow behind her when she runs.

I sighed, turning my head to look out of the side window. Just before I can pull on my headphones and distract myself with loud, thumping beats, I hear an announcement, one that immediately made me buzz with excitement. _We will be reaching California in 15 minutes. _Hmm…_this is it_. Goodbye New York and _hello California_.

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**Please REVIEW! Thanks.**

**PS. I have a surprise for you guys in the next chapter!**

**-Girl Who Believes**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello people! I am soooo sorry i didn't update sooner. School had started and I have been very busy with school work and settling in. I spend like around ten hours a day in school and when I get back home I still have heaps of homework to complete. Thank you to all those who have read my story (I found out a few people from my country actually read my fanfic!) and to all those who actually took the time and effort to review! I would like to dedicate this chappie to you guys! This chapter is on Annabeth's POV. Aren't you curious to find out what's her side of the story? So enjoy!**

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**Annabeth's POV**

_Two months, one week and five days_. That was how long it had been since I last seen Percy, and it had been really painful. To everyone else, it may actually seem very short, but to me, it was only the opposite. The days dragged on dully, and the guilt was slowly becoming unbearable. It was almost _suffocating. _His face from that day still haunted me, hurt was evident on his face, and he had tears in his eyes. _"I would make sure you will never ever see me again!" _His words constantly rang in my mind. _Did he really mean it? _I wasn't sure, but I knew two things for sure-I hoped he didn't mean it, and _I missed him...a lot…_

I really regret it now, I shouldn't have said those words, but it is too late now…

You may think that it is not that bad since Percy is just my best friend and I still have my boyfriend by my side-_you are wrong._ Well, it is because I didn't have a boyfriend anymore. That _jerk. _Now when I think about it, it not only makes my blood boil, but it also makes me even more regretful. I should have dumped him that day. I should not have believed his lies. I should not have trusted him. I should have believed Percy instead. _And I was supposed to be one of the smarter girls. _But deep down below, I cannot deny that I haven't thought that he might betray me. I just simply chose to chuck all of my rational thinking aside and be completely smitten with him. I had just worn my heart out on my sleeves. _And it was all because of my pride. _

You see_, _in school, it was every girl's dream to date Luke. _It was an honour, something to be proud of_. So when Luke came up to me and asked me to be his girlfriend, I didn't really think too much about it and said yes. _Being acquainted with him is the direct road to popularity. _I wanted to be popular so badly, I was sick of all the incessant bullying. I wanted to join his clique and turn the tables around. And so I did. And it was the worst thing I had ever done.

Luke was very nice to me, he was dashing, cute, kind, gentlemanly and just simply great. We hung out all day together, and of course I spent lesser time with Percy. I felt guilty about it at first and tried to bring him into the group, but Luke wasn't exactly a fan of him. He told me that Percy had a crush on me. And that made things kind of awkward, so I avoided him. Moreover, Luke said that he didn't like me hanging out with Percy and it made him feel uncomfortable. I guess it was jealousy. And I thought it was _sweet _since guys would only get jealous when they really like the girl right? _How stupid and naïve of me. _

And so I stopped hanging out with him, I even avoided him. I knew it hurt him but I only thought of myself. After being in the clique for a month, I learnt something. To keep your 'popular' status, you _must not_ be seen with a 'not popular' guy. I was so silly then. I feel like slapping myself now when I think about it.

Back to the present, I can't bear to think any further. _Too late_. Horrible memories began to flood my mind. _Luke kissing another girl, the argument, the screaming, the crying, the hurt, the betrayal…_

_Stop it_. Stop it, Annabeth. You don't want to break down in the middle of English class. I took a deep breath, trying to pay attention to what the teacher is saying. But all I could think about was one question: _where had Percy gone? _And right there and then, I made a decision- I was going to see Mrs Blofis, Percy's mom.

I felt numb, I couldn't think of anything else. I gazed outside the window of the Blofis Residence, trying to absorb everything that I just heard. One tear streamed down my cheek, then another, and another, and then it became a full-out sobbing as the piece of news finally sunk in. _He had left. He had really left. My best friend was gone. _

Mrs Blofis handed me a piece of tissue to dry my tears, but I can't move. Grief, regret and guilt covered me like a thick, choking blanket, and I couldn't breathe properly. She put one of her arms around me while clasping my hand to comfort me.

My fists were clenched so tightly on my lap that I could feel my nails digging into my skin. I hastily stood up, thanked Mrs Blofis and fled out of the house. I ran out on the streets, heading in the general direction of my house. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my cheeks. The floodgates had opened and couldn't be closed back.

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**I am sorry if I made any mistakes because I typed this chapter out late at night. I will try to update sooner but please understand that I am really really busy. But don't worry, I will finish this story to the end. I will not discontinue the story no matter what! And to all the Percabeth fans out there(I am one too!), you will just have to wait a little longer...but don't worry too, this is a Percabeth fanfic. They will be together but not that soon. Sorry! And last but not least, PLEASE REVIEW! Thanks...**

**-Girl Who Believes**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys! Here's another chapter for you! I read your comments and I think that your suggestions are great. I might follow them! Anyways, enjoy...**

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_**Annabeth's POV**_

Three years have passed just like that and I am in Goode High School right now at my sophomore year. _It's a wonder how quickly time flies_. I slammed my locker shut and headed for the cafeteria to meet my friends. As I walked into the noisy and bustling cafeteria, I could immediately spot them from all the chaos. They stood out a lot, mostly because of their black, gothic clothes and punk style. I walked briskly over to the table where everyone tactfully avoided. _You see_, everyone was afraid of the two. And I don't really blame them. It was hard not to be intimidated by their glares and attitude. It's also really quite hard to believe they are _cousins_ actually, apart from their clothing, they are _very _different from each other- personality and thinking wise.

_Meet Thalia Grace and Nico Di' Angelo._

Thalia is the girl with black, short, spiky hair, electric-blue eyes, punk clothes and dark eyeliner. A word of advice to those who don't know her, _do not anger her_. You will be digging your own grave if you do that. She can be really scary, but at the same time, she can also be real nice to people she likes. Her cousin, Nico, is the "emo" guy who wears completely black clothes, has a wild mop of black hair on his head and has a _really_ fair complexion. But really, once you get to know him, you will think of him as anything but "emo".

The both of them transferred here halfway through freshman year. They were from California and both of their parents were really rich. Thalia's dad, Zeus, runs a successful theatrical company while Nico's dad, Hades, owns a chain of jewellery shop. Their parents sent them to study here in New York so that they can learn to be independent. _Haha…how can they learn to be independent when their parents send them a shocking amount of pocket money every month?_

Ok, back to the present, Thalia and Nico spotted me and waved. Sometimes I really wonder how we even became good friends, we were just so different. I was more of a geek who likes reading. I probably got that from my mom, Athena, who is an accomplished architect.

I sat down at the table, while listening to them talk. Nico was talking animatedly, while Thalia was glaring at him. "I only think he is hot. I DO NOT like him!" growled Thalia. "Woah. Stop there! Thalia thinks a _guy_ is _hot_?" I asked incredulously. Nico grinned triumphantly, nodding his head, "Yep! She thinks our cousin is hot." I couldn't believe my ears, Thalia is a total feminist and hates guys. Thalia smacked her cousin's head as her face turned red slowly. "_Please_…you people make me look like a lesbian! I still like boys, ok?"

"Right. But you are close to one."

"I am not!"

I rolled my eyes, they just _love_ arguing with each other. But my interest was piqued, I was quite curious as to how their cousin looked like. Thalia never says that a boy is hot. _Never_. "How does he look like?"

"He has black messy hair, the I-just-got-out-of-a-shower kind of messy, and not the I-don't-comb-my-hair kind of messy like him," Thalia replied, pointing to Nico next to her.

"Hey!"

"Anyways, he has green eyes with a blue-ish tint to them, he is muscular and good at _a lot_ of sports. And he is like the _jock_ back in high school at Cali. _Many_ girls are _totally_ in love with him." She continued.

_Green eyes with a blue-ish tint, messy black hair_…They reminded me a lot of someone. _Percy. _But I knew it couldn't be him, he was not the type that was great at sports. Or popular among girls. Right then, I felt a wave of longing. I missed him a lot. I missed his smile. I missed his beautiful eyes. _I missed my best friend_.

Thalia nudged me, breaking my chain of thoughts, and I was grateful for it. Together, we stood up and walked over to the long queue to get our food. On our way there, we passed by the "popular" table which Luke and his gang hung out. His _gang_, consists of idiotic boys who think they are so handsome and likes to flex their muscles a lot, and giggly, stuck-up girls who wear lots of make-up and skimpy clothing. _Typical high school_. I don't get why people think they are cool. To me, they are just like retards stuck in the mental age of eleven.

"Hey! Annie!" Luke called out, giving me the smile all the girls think is _hot, _but seriously, it is disgusting, when the person himself is already disgusting enough. _To think that I actually dated him before_. I like to call those days the "_stupid Annabeth_" days.

I gritted my teeth. I hated being called "Annie". It was the pet name Luke gave me when we dated three years ago. I didn't mind it in the past since I was _head over heels_ with him, but right now, I hated it a lot as it held many horrible memories which I tried very hard to forget. But I hated the person who called me that even more. I _simply_ despised him, and I made no effort to hide. "_Excuse me_?" I asked, trying to mask my anger.

"Don't call her that, bastard." Thalia said menacingly. I gave her a small smile, thanking her silently. She just helped me say what I had in mind.

Nico dragged the both of us away as the group laughed at us. It was a sensible thing to do. Thalia wasn't a huge fan of Luke and she had some really colourful string of swear words that was specially reserved for him. And it would land her right into detention. So Nico did the right thing and dragged her away before her tirade starts.

We carried on to get our food as Thalia and Nico argued on about whether skulls or lightning bolts were cooler. But I wasn't paying attention to them, my thoughts were occupied with something else. _Would I be able to see Percy again? Would he forgive me? _I didn't have the answer to that. Strange enough, my thoughts drifted to Thalia and Nico's cousin. _Maybe it's because he looks like Percy. _But it couldn't be him, right? I mean, we are talking about Percy here. Being _muscular_? _Hot_? _Popular_? _Good _at a lot of _sports_? It just didn't fit with him. But little did I know how wrong I was.

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**Is it good? Tell me what you think! Next chappie will be on Percy's POV. Time to see what happened on his side in that three years! Thanks a lot for reading. Please review! Your reviews make me so happy and motivated! So, bye for now!**

**-Girl Who Believes**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone! I'm so sorry for the long wait but I'm trying my best to update as quickly as possible! Anyway...YOU PEOPLE ARE AWESOME! 48 reviews, 31 favourites and 62 followers. I love you guys! It motivated me so much and it just make my week! And I want to give a huge shout-out to Sergant Sarcasm, John117am, A, slmmiracle, Ginevra Annabeth Herondale, Ally, Guests, Codex, KanjiofRai, MaryXD, Girl In RandomLand, theonewanteddirectionfan, midnightwolf 97, MusicAddict135, alyajackson, NikiD1233, XxPerliaxFabinaxX, The Goddamn Dark Knight, Son-of-Chronos88, SONxOFxCHAOS, TearsofDiamonds, pjofanforever, TaylorSwift33, ironface101, allen r, Troubled PuRpLe, NewRoux, dogluver, PercyJackson is SeaweedBrain, Alison daughter of Poseidon! Thank you for REVIEWING! Now here's chappie 7...**

**-Girl Who Believes**

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_**Percy's POV**_

Life in the past three years was-what can I say-_great_. I had everything I wanted, and everything other guys dreamed about. _Money, girls, flashy cars, mansion, looks, abs, popularity_-oh the list is simply endless. But before I go on about how awesome life here in California is, let me rewind the tape. When I first arrived here in Cali, you can pretty much say I was a wimp and didn't fit in. Come on, compared to the tall, muscular, tanned guys here, being pale and weak and at a height of 5'5 didn't exactly take you straight to the road of popularity. Aha! But remember that growth spurt I was wishing for? Maybe the gods finally heard my prayer, but after hitting puberty and changing my style- I became who I am today, the _new Percy Jackson_…

Anyway, back to the story. I started attending school at Cali High and well, let's just say I became very popular-among girls and even among _guys_, though I do not want to dwell on the latter. I started taking up a lot of sports-baseball, basketball, swimming, tennis, hockey and many others. I don't know what really got into me, I just…wanted to be _better _than Luke-in every way-be it with girls or sports.

And at the beginning, it was pretty tough. I had some difficulties getting used to the high life here. I mean, it's weird to go from _nothing_ to having _everything_. And then there was this another thing…_Annabeth_. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't forget her, or her beautiful smile, or how she would giggle cutely whenever I did something stupid, or- _Stop it, Percy! Stop thinking of her! _

Ok, let's move on. Then, a year later, I met my cousins- _Thalia_ and _Nico_. They are pretty cool people, and fun to hang out with-_but don't ever tell them I said that. _We all have the same jet-black hair, but other than that, we are extremely different from one another. We are also very close and protective of one another, and we are just like siblings.

We attended high school together, until last month, when they moved to New York to "learn how to be independent", _but seriously_, I think they are just playing around there, "learn how to be independent" and "Thalia and Nico" didn't exactly go together. They invited me over to New York to attend high school with them, and I have to admit, I _am_ quite interested. I missed the busy NYC streets and the rush and buzzing. But at the same time, I was quite hesitant to go back to New York, my birthplace and the city where I spent 12 years of my life in. Sure, I wanted to see my mom and Paul. I missed them so much too. But, I didn't know if I was _ready_, ready to go back to that place.

And after months of persuading me, Thalia and Nico were successful in getting me to join them. So here I am now, on a plane, heading back to New York City, the city that held so many memories, both good and bad ones. And as I dozed off slowly, I can't help but wonder if everything is still the same now, _or more specifically_, is Annabeth still the same now? Even though I'm going back now, I'm still not sure if I'm ready to meet her. But well, there's a very low chance that I might meet her, right? I mean, the world is not _that_ small. But little did I know how wrong I was as I drifted asleep, dreaming of golden, princess curls and mesmerizing grey eyes…

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**I know that's a short chappie but the next one would be longer, PERCY AND ANNABETH WOULD FINALLY MEET! So stick with me! Thanks~ Please REVIEW!**

**-Girl Who Believes**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi everyone, **

**I know I have been a really really really horrible author- I haven't updated in months and kept you guys all waiting. But before you guys murder me, I want to apologize for not updating sooner, I have been really busy lately- I'm thoroughly stressed out by school work and exams and I'm going through a rough spot in my life right now. So, I really hope you guys would understand and stick with me. I promise I would try to update more quickly. And last but not least, I want to give all of you a huge thank you for supporting me and encouraging me to update even though I have been a terrible author! Your reviews, favorites and follows had really made my day! AND PLEASE NOTE, I have said it before and I shall say it again, I WILL NOT GIVE UP WRITING THIS FANFIC EVER! I shall stop here for now and let you carry on reading this chapter that you waited a long time for;) **

**-Girl Who Believes**

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_**Annabeth's POV**_

I woke up to the shrill ring of my alarm clock at 7am- yes, not 7.01am or 6.59am- it's 7am _exactly_. **[Please read the author's note! I know you didn't...SO GO NOW!] **Call me OCD or whatever, but that's how I always liked things to be-_perfect_. It was the start of another new week, and another week of boring school life, _and also yet another week without Percy_... It's been three years, five months and nineteen days since he had left, and with each passing day, the guilt and longing had accumulated in the depths of my heart that I have artfully hidden from the world. As I crossed out yet another day from the calendar that I had specially bought to keep track of the days Percy has been gone, I sighed, thinking about those lonely 1264 days-wait, make that 1265 days.

Ever since Mrs Blofis broke the news to me, I didn't have the face to look them in the eye anymore. I never visited them anymore and whenever I saw Mr Blofis in school since he is an English teacher there, I would just hastily greet him and scurry away. The regret was simply overwhelming. I should never have dated Luke- he never saw girls as girls, he just saw them as another trophy to add to his collections to show how popular he was with girls. I should never have neglected Percy, I should never have believed Luke over him, I should never- _stop it, Annabeth. The past is already the past, no use dwelling over it and wishing useless things. _

I took a deep breath before continuing on my daily routine, and in about thirty minutes, I was ready for school. Just as I was about to pick up my bag, I heard a honk outside. Hurriedly waving goodbye to my parents and twin brothers, I got out of the house and climbed into Nico's black jeep. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust from the bright morning sky to the all-black interior of the jeep. _This guy was really over-doing the whole black style. _But I was in no place to complain, it's a free ride to school every day anyway. Thalia waved to me from the rear seat while Nico just gave me a small nod when I greeted them. Being around them made me look really colorful and cheerful, _and that is saying something. _We rode in silence before Thalia broke the peacefulness with a piercing shriek.

"OH MY GOSH! That jerk is coming to school today and he didn't tell us?! I thought he was arriving in New York next Thursday!" Thalia sounded disbelieving, staring at her phone screen intently.

"What who? The asshole from Cali?" Nico asked, smirking. Catching his smirk, Thalia kicked the driver's seat from the back, "You knew about it? And you didn't tell me!"

"He begged me not to tell you-he wanted to surprise you!" Nico sniggered. Thalia narrowed her eyes, giving Nico her infamous death glare. It completely and immediately wiped the smirk off his face.

"Who are you talking about?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at their use of language.

"Our cousin. He is attending school with us today, he flew in from California just last night." Nico replied back, glancing at Thalia warily from the rear mirror.

"Oh, the one Thalia said was hot?" I bit my lips, trying to control my laughter.

"Don't you both dare tell him I said that or else…" That effectively shut all of us up.

The rest of the ride to school was silent, except for the occasional banter between the two cousins about whether Green Day or Maroon 5 was better. And I couldn't help but think about Nico and Thalia's cousin, the guy who looked like Percy. But I knew it couldn't be him, the last time I saw him, he was just a scruffy boy. But that was three years ago, a lot of things could happen in three years, right? I slammed that thought down immediately. Idly, I wondered how he is now. Does he have any friends now? Is he happy in California? I shook my head, trying to clear my mind, but my thoughts still drifted back to a certain green-eyed boy, a small part of me still hoping that the new boy could be who I wanted to see so much now.

Soon, we reached school- without Nico and Thalia's hands around each other's necks. Fortunately. I didn't want to break up another fight this early in the morning . And truth to be told, I find them intimidating too. Their death glares sends shivers down my spine, and I have no desire to be the recipient of one.

As we got off the Jeep, I noticed a sparkling red Maserati Spyder that I had never saw before in the school parking lot. It was obviously the new boy's and it was ostentatious, a small crowd had actually formed around it, with the boys staring at it in awe and as if it was some kind of god. I rolled my eyes. It was just a pretty car, with an even prettier price tag. But I guessed he could afford it, his family is filthy rich.

I carried on walking towards the school entrance, with Nico and Thalia trailing behind me. They recognized that car, and it seemed to spark off some kind of excitement in their eyes. Although they were trying hard to fake nonchalance, I could tell that they were pretty fond of their cousin and couldn't wait to see him.

We walked down the hallway towards our lockers when suddenly it struck me. It was quiet, _for once_. The whole student population was speaking in hushed tones, there was no screaming and shrieking, no laughter and no one talking at the top of their lungs. I raised my eyebrows, not sure of what was going on. I looked back at Nico and Thalia, who looked back at me with equally puzzled expressions, giving me shrugs. We were about to continue our way down when the whispers caught our attention.

"OMG he is _soooo_ dreamy! I am so gonna date that newbie!"

"Cutie with great muscles-"

"Totally_ hot_! I wonder what's his name?"

"I wished he would look at me…"

"He is literally _sex on legs_-"

_What?_ Who got the girls in the school so hyped up, even Drew and her crew, the school "chicks" or _"sluts"_ as I liked to put it, are interested. And that would only mean he is quite the looker. Could it be… I turned back to stare at Thals and Nico questioningly, and they gave me smirks in return. Looks like Thalia wasn't exaggerating when she said that all the girls back in their previous school was head over heels with him.

Honestly, I was pretty curious about him. And my silent questions were about to be answered when I saw a guy with jet black hair step out of the office, holding a few pieces of documents and what I suppose are his schedules in his hands. He wore a simple white shirt with jeans and converses and a pair of Raybans but it was enough to hook on the girls. I could only see his back but I knew he felt uncomfortable as he was squirming and looking around nervously. Dirty looks from the guys and flirty looks from the girls are all cast in his direction. I was starting to really feel sorry for him, he must be really uncomfortable, unsure of what to do with all the attention.

Just then, he turned around and started walking towards us with a huge and relieved smile, he must have spotted his cousins, people he was familiar with here. As he made his way here, I could understand why the girls were drooling. He was good looking, _to say the least_, I have to give him that. He had hidden his eyes behind a pair of dark sunglasses, and I had a sudden urge to see them as his face features looked achingly familiar in a way… _No, it couldn't be_.

He finally reached us and gave us a breath taking smile, hugging Thalia and fist bumping with Nico. "Hey Perce, how's it going?" Thalia asked, a grin on her face. _Perce…Percy…No…_

"Man, is it usually so quiet around here? He asked, looking around nervously, aware that the whole school was tuning in on their conversation. Meanwhile, I could only stand rooted to the spot behind Thalia. My heart was racing while I clenched my fist tightly, making little crescent-shaped indents on my palm. _No…it couldn't be…could it?_

While he was busy catching up with his cousins, he had taken off his Raybans, revealing bright green eyes, eyes like the sea. Eyes that had constantly haunted me for the past three years. It was _him_…it was really him. He must have heard my sudden sharp intake of breath as he moved his gaze from his cousins to me, pinning with intense green eyes, paralyzing me. His eyes widened in recognition as his jaw went slack. Disbelief, utter shock, anger and was that longing was reflected in his eyes, before an imaginary shutter slammed down and all emotions were swept out of his face. He still remembered me. The rational side of me was still in complete shock, while the irrational side of me was jumping in glee. _He remembered me!_

He seemed to have composed himself, as he extended a hand to me and said, "Hi, I'm Percy Jackson."

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**Ok so this chapter is finished. I hoped you enjoyed it! Please REVIEW to tell me what you think! Thank you for reading!**

**-Girl Who Believes**


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